The Celtics completed their 14th straight victory in thrilling fashion against the Golden State Warriors. Jaylen Brown poured in 22 points and contributed seven rebounds while Kyrie Irving scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter on the way to a 92-88 win. Kevin Durant had 24 points for the Warriors.
Their 15th straight win came in the form of a 110-99 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Irving had 30 points and Brown added 27. Dennis Schroder had 23 points for the Hawks.
The Celtics escaped a scare on Monday night in Dallas, pulling out a 110-102 victory against the Mavericks in overtime. Irving lit up the scoreboard with 47 points on 16-22 shooting, including 5-7 from beyond the arc. Harrison Barnes scored 31 for Dallas.
Wednesday night in Miami saw the incredible streak come to an end at the hands of a 104-98 loss to the Heat. On a night when the Celtics only shot 41.7% from the field, Irving lead the way with 23 points. The Heat were lead by Goran Dragic with 27 points and Dion Waiters with 26.
Comeback Kings
Over their 16-game winning streak, the Celtics came back from losing multiple times. This includes a 16 point deficit, a 17 point deficit, and two 18 point deficits.
Often in the fourth quarter, the Celtics completed comebacks lead largely by Kyrie Irving, who is averaging 22.5 points per game this season.
Remarkably, the team’s biggest comeback of the season came against the Charlotte Hornets in a game that Irving left in the first quarter due to an injury. Guards Shane Larkin and Terry Rozier stepped up in his absence, showing this team’s resilience throughout.
Brad Stevens: Minutes Manager
This Celtics team consistently plays 11 players in-game, and that has allowed coach Stevens to manage the minutes of his stars.
Al Horford and Jaylen Brown play the most minutes on this roster, and yet they only rank 45th in the NBA at 32.6 minutes per game. Kyrie Irving ranks 63rd at 31.5 minutes per game.
Consistent bench minutes from guys like Terry Rozier and Aron Baynes have allowed this rotation to develop, and will hopefully allow these stars to stay fresh throughout this long NBA season.
Next 7 days at a glance
Friday, Nov. 24 at 7:30 pm vs Orlando Magic
Saturday, Nov. 25 at 8:00 pm @ Indiana Pacers
Monday, Nov. 27 at 7:30 pm vs Detroit Pistons
